1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnosis device used for medical purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
For use in medical diagnosis, an ultrasonic diagnosis probe having an ultrasonic sensor therein has been developed. The ultrasonic diagnosis probe is used on the surface of the body, and also in body cavities. In a trans-esophageal echo cardiograph, for example, an ultrasonic sectional image (tomograph) of an affected portion of a patient is made by inserting the probe into the esophagus so that the probe reaches the desired position in the body cavity and by carrying out sector scanning using a sensor which transmits ultrasound and receives reflected ultrasound (the echo signals). The echo signals are changed to brightness signals to produce on the display an image of the affected portion of the patient.
The ultrasonic sensor comprises an array of piezoelectric elements, The scanning is carried out in the direction of the array of piezoelectric elements. Therefore, the scanning direction is constant, and the obtained sectional image exists in a fixed plane only, and lacks flexibility.
To overcome this problem, an ultrasonic diagnosis device has been proposed in which an ultrasonic sensor is rotatably arranged, in a probe, about a central axis of the sensor extending perpendicular to the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface of the sensor. However, the conventional ultrasonic diagnosis device requires a complex operation, and many operating elements are necessary to produce an image. Therefore, it is difficult to easily obtain a sectional image of the object at exactly the desired position.